


Neurodivergent

by mythicaliz



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M, Neurodiversity, is really rhett being a human weighted blanket, link has inattentive adhd, neurodivergent!link, platonic love and friendship, rhetts pov, the im dead move, to calm link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 15:27:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18391160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mythicaliz/pseuds/mythicaliz
Summary: Rhett has always known something was different about his best friend, but he's stood by him their entire life. In college Rhett learns lying on top of Link helps to calm him, and so the "I'm Dead Move" was born.





	Neurodivergent

From the first day of first grade, Rhett knew his best friend Link was different. It wasn’t a bad sort of difference; Link just had a way about him. He had big emotions, which was foreign to Rhett, who even as a child was relatively reserved. Link would laugh until his sides hurt and he was gasping for air, but he could also cry over the tiniest things. It baffled Rhett, but he learned to take Link in stride.

“He’s an emotional boy,” Mama Sue would say as she ruffled Link’s hair after he had a meltdown over one thing or another. A lot of words were whispered about Link. _soft, day dreamer, fussy, dramatic._ But Rhett paid no mind to the words of adults. All he knew was that before Link he felt like he was half of something, and with Link in his life, he felt whole.

* * *

Even in fourth grade, Rhett’s height landed him a place in the back of the classroom. The teacher wrote notes on the board and Rhett carefully copied them into his notebook. The teacher paid close attention to the three boys in the front row. The boys who would go to the nurse’s office to get little pills to take with their lunch to help them focus. They were dubbed _hyperactive._ Link sat in the middle row and was anything _but_ hyperactive. If anything, he was the complete opposite, but he also struggled to focus. While those boys were bouncing off the walls with excess energy, Link would be staring out the window or meticulously fold a piece of paper small and smaller until he couldn’t fold it anymore. As Rhett listened to the teacher, Link wrapped a rubber band around his fingers which turned blue as the elastic stopped the blood flow to his fingertips. Absentmindedly, he stretched the elastic and doodled in the corner of his paper, leaving the lesson going on in the classroom ignored. 

Rhett’s cheeks would burn in embarrassment for Link when the teacher would call on him and Link would answer with a “Hrmm?” and she would say, “Earth to Neal! Pay attention!” Report cards would come with _smart but needs to FOCUS_ written in red ink across a sea of mediocre letter grades. Link wouldn't be allowed to play after school. “Lincoln has to buckle down, stop being silly,” Mama Sue would say when she turned Rhett away. Rhett couldn’t understand why Link struggled so much. Link was probably the smartest kid he knew. He was creative and quick. Rhett loved it best when they could just hang out and play. Link would come up with stories and characters and soon, they’d be off on one adventure or another, giggling in the woods behind Buies Creek until the time their moms hollered for them to come in for dinner.

* * *

Rhett watched Link through high school. It seemed like every few weeks, he had a new interest. Soccer, trumpet, debate club, chess club, he’d get involved with one whole heartedly and then get bored and move onto something more exciting. He still struggled in school, putting in hours of time doing extra credit work to get average grades. But when it was just the two of them, Link shone. Link drove his truck, music blaring he hung his arm out the window and slapped the side to keep time with the music. He drove _fast_ and Rhett didn’t mind. Although he’d received more than a few speeding tickets, he’d only been in a few fender benders. And of course there was the time he rolled his truck, but Rhett didn’t bring that up. Despite the few close, calls Rhett felt safe riding shotgun as they tore through the country roads that lined the tobacco fields of Buies Creek, singing harmonies along with Merle. They’d drive out to the speaking rocks and sit for hours. Rhett marveled at how Link could be talking about one thing and a few seconds later be on an unrelated topic. “Back up… How did you get from Freddy Kruger to Joseph Stalin?” Link would give his shy crooked smile and outline the twenty-seven steps his brain took in a few seconds to get from one topic to the other.

Rhett was entranced by Link’s hands. How they would move excitedly when he was passionate, how they would flap when he was excited, how they would ball into fists when he was frustrated. He also marveled at how when Link was into something he was _into_ it. If he was invested in an idea, he’d work all hours, day and night, skipping meals and barely taking bathroom breaks in order to work on it. Although, sometimes, he’d only get ninety percent there, and then get bored. The project would end up in a drawer with all the other almost-but-not-finished scripts, songs, stories and drawings.

* * *

In college, Rhett began to worry. He wasn’t sure if Link was getting worse or it was just the proximity of being roommates, but things were off. Link spent more time devoted to his studies than any other freshman, but he still struggled. It was the middle of midterms and Link was getting on Rhett’s last nerve. Rhett entered their tiny dorm room with a huff and threw his backpack in the corner. Link sat at his desk, shirtless (which he almost always was inside, said the tag hurt too bad), staring at the wall. 

“Hey Rhett,” he said quietly.

“Hey yourself,” Rhett said, angrily.

“What’s wrong?” Link said as he turned around in his chair.

“You were supposed to meet me in the dining hall an hour ago. A cute girl even asked if she could sit with me and I said no, I was waiting for my roommate, and then I looked like a grade A asshole when you never showed up.”

“Shit, it’s already six?”

“It’s seven!” Rhett replied. “Why didn’t you show?”

“Shoot Rhett, I’m sorry. I swear I got in from class at five and was going to have a shower and meet you, and then I sat down here and just got stuck.”

“Stuck?”

“Like… with the thought of showering? I don’t know how to explain it. It just seemed like too many steps, but also I stink and didn’t want to go like the stinky mess I am, but the idea of my hair being all wet and stuck to my face was too much, so I sat down to psyche myself up for it and now it’s like two hours later.”

“Right… Whatever. You bail on me all the time. I should be used to it now.” Rhett turned his back to Link and flipped through a binder of CD’s.

“Rhett I don’t mean to… it’s just…”

“Great, an excuse.”

“No…” Link’s voice began to break with emotion. “Rhett I’m sorry. I’ve just been feeling really overwhelmed. I have three exams this week plus two papers and I stay up all night working on them-”

“Yeah I know, I can hear you muttering to yourself and scribbling in your notebook all hours of the dagum night.”

“I’m sorry, It’s like the middle of the night is the only time I can think clearly.” Tears were streaming down Link’s face. “And then the fucking computer lab is only open until ten pm so I have to go during the day to type my papers but it’s so loud in there. So many keyboards clacking and people coughing and stuff. But my walkman makes too much noise and they won’t let me use it anyway. I just feel like I’m drowning.”

“Link, you just need to organize yourself. You spend all kinds of time on random hobbies or playing video games and then you get all in a state when you don’t leave yourself enough time. It’s so infuriating sometimes to watch you sabotage yourself.” Rhett tried to not let his aggravation show, but he huffed hot air angrily out of his nose.

“Right, Rhett. I’m just lazy. You don’t even know how many hours I spend studying. While you and Gregg are off chasing girls, I’m in the library. ‘You know what you know’ Gregg always says, well I know shit. I can read the same page a hundred times and it won’t stick. Maybe I should drop out, go be a farmer like my dad. Paint houses in the off season. Live and die in Buies Creek. Maybe I’m not meant to get out. You can go be a big city engineer and forget about me.”

Rhett turned and took a long stride over to Link’s desk. “Don’t you ever say that.”

Link stood and looked up defiantly, “Forget about me, I’m just your loser best friend who can’t fucking cut it. Should I wait till I flunk out? Or just quit? Link Neal: college dropout.” Link raised his hands dramatically like he was reading the words on a marquee.

Rhett wasn’t sure what came over him but he shoved Link to the ground and lay on top of him, his hands wrapped around Link’s wrists, pinning him to the carpet. “Take it back.”

“W-What?” Link squirmed under his weight.

“You are the smartest guy I know, and I’m not going to see you fail. Take it back. You are going to pass. You are going to be an engineer. And together we’re going to do something. You made an oath, remember?”

Rhett could feel Link sobbing underneath him. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Okay. I promise Rhett.”

“I’m sorry I tackled you,” Rhett said as he moved off of Link.

“Wait…”’

Rhett paused. 

“Could… could you stay? It’s like… helping?”

Rhett moved back, fully pinning Link again. “Okay Link, if it helps. I’m dead.” He let his weight go limp against Link’s body.

Rhett didn’t know what was happening, but soon, Link’s sobs turned into slow, even breaths. Rhett felt strangely relaxed too. He was always aware about their proximity. He was self conscious that people always thought they were gay, so he held back affection. Always made sure they weren't too close. But this odd intimacy was nice. Rhett didn’t even mind that Link was a bit stinky. Even after having gone three days without a shower, Link smelled musky and earthy, just as he always did. Slowly, Rhett could feel Link’s back muscles unclench beneath him as he relaxed. About twenty minutes passed before Link turned his head. 

“Rhett?” he whispered.

“Yeah?” Rhett replied softly.

“I’m okay now. Thanks.”

Rhett awkwardly got up and reached down and hand to pull Link up too. 

“I’m sorry I got mad, Link.”

“S’okay Rhett.”

“Why… why did that help?” Rhett asked, motioning to the area they’d been lying on the floor.

Link sighed and sat down on the bottom bunk. “Y’know how there’s always so much going on in your head at once? Like sometimes it feels like I have six different radio stations on at the same time and I don’t know which one to listen to or how to tune the others out. But It feels like some of them are quieter now.”

“I… I’m not sure what you mean, Link. But I’m glad it helped. If you need me to do it again, just ask, kay?” 

“Thanks, buddyroll. I’m sorry I missed dinner. I’m gonna have a shower, then maybe I can buy you an apology frozen yogurt before I head to the computer lab?”

“Sounds good, brother.” Rhett smiled down at his best friend who seemed calmer than he had in months.

Link never dared ask Rhett to lie on top of him, but Rhett learned when Link needed it. Link would 

get agitated and they would fight over seemingly nothing and the fight would end with Rhett lying on top of Link until Link calmed and was able to move on. Rhett would joke that it was just his way to win the fight. Show what a big man he was by passively humiliating Link. But he knew this was what Link needed.

* * *

_Inattentive:_ another word added to the list describing Link, but this time assigned by a psychiatrist. The same pills his rowdy classmates took now rattled in his pocket. Link had always thought he was just weird, but now, with a diagnosis, he understood why he struggled. In hindsight, Rhett felt guilty that he hadn’t pushed Link to get assessed earlier. Maybe if Link had known younger, his teen and college years would have been easier. But maybe they wouldn’t have become internetainers, and Rhett couldn’t picture a better outcome than where their life had ended up. Success afforded them both wonderful lives. Mythical Entertainment was booming and Link had found ways to cope with his differences. The medication helped, but also Link learnt how to accommodate his needs better. Success meant designer high thread count t-shirts that were tagless and so soft he didn’t immediately want to rip them off. 

The medication didn’t change his personality, it just dialed things down to a manageable level. All the things he was made fun of for as a child became part of his personal brand. Absentminded Link who can’t do two things at once, who shouldn’t be trusted with knives. Link who can’t focus on Rhett’s words, Link who lets random weird things slip out of his mouth. Rhett wasn’t mad that commenters would say he was mean or a jerk, but he would get upset when they called Link dumb. He wished they could see Link in action. How when he was riding a creative wave he was unstoppable.

Sometimes, Rhett would get annoyed with Link’s particularness. Others said Link was a clean freak or OCD, but that wasn’t it. He was particular as a way to cope with the chaos of his mind. If he had a specific order he did things in and a particular place where everything got put away, it made it automatic, and therefore one less thing to think about. Being his own boss meant he could focus on the creating endeavours that excited him and delegate the boring stuff to his employees. Even with the unavoidable boring stuff like rehearsals, Rhett was always there to hype him up and make it exciting and fun. It was ideal. 

The weeks before season two of Buddy System began filming was stressful for both of them. A tight filming schedule coupled with a deal with Youtube for expanded GMM, a touring live stage show. It was all too much. On top of all of it Link's daughter, Lily, also needed invasive back surgery. The stress was getting to Rhett, but another source of stress was Link’s behaviour. He would pace around the office humming and talking to himself. He’d pick up a toy off his desk and fidget with it only to sigh, unsatisfied, and put it back down on his desk. Rhett sat on the couch and watched him. Tension hung in the air as they’d been constantly arguing lately. 

“What?” Link said as he squeezed a squishy toy that sat on his desk.

“You okay, brother?” Rhett whispered as his eyes tracked Link’s pacing.

“Yeah…” Link stared blankly out the window.

“You take your medication today?” Rhett asked with concern.

“Fuck, Rhett. Yes, I took my Adderall. I don’t need you to check up on me.”

“I don’t mean to patronize…” 

“You never do.” Link slammed the drawer on his desk, knocking a cup of pens which scattered all over the floor. “Shit!” Link yelled, louder than necessary as he got on the floor and stretched to retrieve them. 

Rhett dropped to his knees and chased after a highlighter that rolled under the arm chair. He grabbed it and turned around to see Link lying face down reaching under the sofa for a pen.

It had been years since Rhett had done the ‘I’m Dead Move’ for Link. But he recognized all the signs were there than Link needed it. He was moody and agitated and seemed utterly overwhelmed.

He moved behind Link, straddling his legs. “Link…?” he asked softly.

Link raised his head to see Rhett in the familiar position. “Please...” Link responded, his voice cracked as he was on the verge of tears. 

Rhett lay down slowly, pinning Link to the floor. “I’m dead Link.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to many Mythical Beasts on tumblr who also blog about their struggles with executive dysfunction and various forms of neurodiversity i saw myself represented for the first time in my entire life. at 35 years old i was diagnosed ADHD- Inattentive. finally i had so many answers. In researching this condition i also saw a lot of Link's behaviour and began to really relate to him. if any of this feels like you feel free to reach out to me. life doesn't need to be as hard as it is for us.


End file.
